Poll: Voters split 50-50 on Biden’s ability to address rise in homicides

Voters are split 50-50 on whether or not they are confident in President Biden’s ability to address the rise in homicides in major U.S. cities, a new Hill-HarrisX poll finds.

Fifty percent of registered voters in the June 29-July 1 survey said they are confident in Biden’s ability to address the rise of homicides in major cities, including 16 percent who are very confident and 35 percent who are somewhat confident.

Another 50 percent said they are not confident in Biden’s ability to address homicides, including 20 percent who are somewhat not confident and 30 percent who are not at all confident.

Seventy-five percent of Democrats and 63 percent of independents say they are confident in Biden’s ability to address the rise in homicides.

By contrast, 82 percent of Republicans say they are not confident, including 61 percent who say they are not at all confident.

Seventy-eight percent of voters who live in urban areas are confident in Biden’s ability to address violent crime in cities while 57 percent of suburban voters and 73 percent of rural voters are not confident.

The U.S. saw a 30 percent rise in homicides in 202 and there have been reports of increases in various cities in 2021. 

A recent Washington Post- ABC News poll found Americans’ concerns over crime have hit a four-year high, with 59 percent of respondents saying that crime is an “extremely” or “very serious” problem in the U.S.

Biden has touted funding that was included in the COVID-19 relief plan earlier this year as part of an effort to tackle crime. He has also urged Congress to take action on gun control.

The most recent Hill-HarrisX poll was conducted online among 941 registered voters. It has a margin of error of 3.19 percentage points.

—Gabriela Schulte